Kelty  Cabana Shelter

I bought it specifically for beach trips and used it last weekend for 3 days straight and it worked great. It is true that sleeves instead of clips for set up make it a bit harder to set up but I managed to do it on my own(no help) and so did my girlfriend... so really not that hard. It has a flap to close the opening up (not pictured) that we just let down on top of the sand as additional tent floor space to lay down on on top of our towels. Everyone loved that feature! My only negative thing to say about it is that the material itself let a lot of sun thru meaning it was not completely shaded inside the shelter like you might be under an umbrella.

I purchased this tent with my REI dividend in spring 2015. I took it to the beach on a windy day, and the cord broke from the pole as I was putting it away. I figured it was the wind. I returned it an got another one. And the cord on this one broke as well, leaving me with a pole segment broken off - on a perfectly calm day at the lake with no wind and a different person putting it away. Also, on calm hot days it traps heat like an oven - the only vents are on the sides. So if it is facing the wind, it fills up like a balloon and you have to stake it down extra hard; if the wind is from the side, it barely comes in the tent. Incredibly frustrating. Totally not worth $100. Really disappointed.

This is a nicely designed item by Kelty for the Beach. The inclusion of bags (to use instead of stakes) and stake meant they were really trying to make this one work. The overall setup of this one is bit complicated the first time around. Its a big longer than I was expecting, but Im sure I did not measure it out and look at it before buying it online. Overall though, the use of sleeves (with which the poles go through) and choice of fiberglass poles make this an utter failure. Trying to push fiberglass poles through sleeves can be like sucking a frozen ice cream through a straw - have fun! Kelty, change it to metal poles with clips and you just may have a winner. I returned mine.

Purchased for beach trip with grandkids. It was easy to put up & worked out really well.

This tent worked perfectly for my family. Purchased it in the store. Salesperson helped set it up in the store before we purchased to make sure we knew what to expect when we set it up on our own. Traveled well in our suitcase. Set up and down was very easy. I also purchased a sand mat from Amazon which I placed inside the tent and that, along with staking it worked out great. It was very windy on the beach and the tent stayed in place. I love this tent. Very roomy and lightweight. Shoulder straps made it easy to carry to & from the beach. Highly recommend!

We used this at the beach. While there was a light breeze outside, there was no breeze to be had inside even with the "windows" open. It's not as dark as I had hoped either. With the sun glaring down at the hottest part of the day we were roasting. I laid a towel on top to make it a bit darker for our baby. We also had to face it away from the ocean since the sun was on that side. If you want shade at the beach, buy an umbrella. This is the second try at something besides an umbrella and it failed.

I love this tent for the beach, its perfect for getting some privacy when needed or leaving the front flap open to catch the breeze. The attached bags for sand so to keep the tend down so you don't need to rely on stakes is key. It can be a little frustrating to setup or take down in the wind, but thats how it goes when you want a fully functional tent. If you just want relief from the shade, then this might not be the best fit for you and may want to look at something that is more open air.

I took my wife and daughter to the beach in Monterey, CA by fisherman's wharf where it gets somewhat windy conditions in the morning and late afternoon and we used this shelter. It was easy and light to carry, easy to setup and take down (my 4 year old daughter enjoyed helping me with that) and put back into the tote bag. It took a total of 5 minutes. While we were using it, I liked how much room it had inside and it was very bright. 3 adults and 1 child fit easily fit inside it. I was actually sitting on my beach chair inside and we had room for coolers and other stuff we were carrying. The only thing I wished it did better was allow for more air/wind to get through the side mesh windows. The tent was slight hotter than outside because airflow wasn't that good. For the beach, that may not necessarily be a good thing, but probably that would be good if we were in the mountains where we would want the inside to be a little warmer than outside, so it's all good. Overall, I think it was a good purchase and we can't wait to use it again soon.

I just bought this shelter on the way to the beach in Southern California. Summer time beach weather here is windy. This Cabana will take at least two cooperative people to set up and take down easily. It comes with three poles . The thicker one with pins on both ends goes in the sleeve across the front , and the other 2 are self explanatory. The outside tie downs come in attached pockets so they are easy to store. The ties themselves are pre-setup with a simple locking loop mechanism to adjust tension. There are also 4 small empty sand bags and stakes to really make this cabana stable in just about all comfortable winds. If you like going to the beach during a Gale or Hurricane you will NOT be happy with this unit, it is not advertised as a four season weather proof storm shelter. I'm a dad with four small kids. I get it that with kids things aren't as simple. Yes, this unit ( and any similar unit ) is going to flap a bit in the wind during set up and take down. It doesn't automatically set itself up. There are "pop-up" models that are cheaper, don't last as long and can be just as challenging to set up. This is just the right shelter for us for beach trips and the park for soccer, and other type matches. With kids all I can say is Welcome To Parenthood !

I really wish I would have read the reviews prior to purchasing this. Even in good conditions (not sandy or windy) it takes forever to set up and take down. Throw in a bit of wind or sand or tired children and you've got serious frustration. I'm returning my as soon as I can.